Road reflector



Jan. 3, 1939.

R. R. ROBERTSON 2,142,803

ROAD REFLECTOR Filed April 14, 1937 ROBERT R. Rossmsow Patented 3, 1939 ROAD REFLECTOR Robert R. Robertson, Chicago, 111., assignor to The Translode Joint Company, Chicago Heights, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application April 14, 1937, Serial No. 136,726

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved type of a reflector and more particularly to a road deflector constructed of stainless sheet steel which is first cross corrugated by a particular method, after which forms are cut from the cross corrugated metal and are then pressed into shape, with the exterior surface of the reflector highly polished to afford a reflector construction from which multitudinous light rays are adapted to be reflected when a light from a vehicle strikes the reflector.

It is an object of this invention to provide a reflector cap which is constructed of stainless steel, which is first cross corrugated, and then has one surface thereof polished before the material is pressed into shape to provide a domeshaped construction having a multiple number of reflecting surfaces on the interior thereof.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a road reflector cap constructed of stainless sheet steel which is cross corrugated and exteriorly polished for providing multitudinous reflecting surfaces, when light strikes the same, to thereby provide a reflector cap which is strikingly detectable at night, when light strikes the reflector.

It is an important object of this invention to provide an improved type of road reflector cap, adapted to be constructed out of stainless sheet steel which is cross corrugated and polished before being shaped and which is formed with multitudinous reflecting surfaces on the exterior thereof to make the reflector cap readily discernible at night, said reflector cap furthermore adapted to be installed in the top surfaces of either new or old concrete roads for readily indicating curves or traflic lane separations at night.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawing.

The invention (in its preferred form) is illustrated in the drawing and hereinafter more fully described.

As shown on the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a curved portion of a concrete road having reflectors embodying the principles of this inven tion, embedded in the concrete, in staggered relation, on opposite sides of the road center strip.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical detail section taken on line II--II of Figure 1 to show a reflector cap embedded in the concrete and projecting thereabove.

Figure 3,1s an isometric view'of thereflector cap. r I

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of a section of the metal forming the re flector cap, and illustrating the plurality of 5 reflecting surfaces.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 illustrating a modifled form of the cross corrugations of the metal used in the construction of the reflector cap.

Figure 6 is a detail vertical section similar to- Figure 2, illustrating a method of mounting reflector caps in the top surfaces of roads already constructed.

As shown on the drawing:

The improved road reflector caps of this invention are adapted tobe constructed of stainless sheet steel, of comparatively light weight, since the stainless steel is adapted to be strengthened by cross corrugating the sheet metal to strengthen and reinforce the same. The method of cross corrugating the stainless sheet steel consists of taking a comparatively thin sheet of the metal and first passing the same at a required or selected angle through a crimping or forming machine or between corrugating rolls to cause, a series or plurality of parallel ribs or corrugations to be formed in the sheet of metal. After the sheet has been formed with the primary or main corrugations I, the sheet is reversed or turned bottom side up and is again positioned at a selected angle to the direction of the first formed corrugation, and is fed through the forming or corrugating machine to cause the metal sheet to be formed with a plurality of parallel auxiliary or secondary corrugations or ribs 2. The auxiliary or secondary corrugations cross the main or primary corrugations, partially deforming the same, so that the cross corrugations or ribs reinforce or strengthen one another to produce a metal sheet of increased strength and stiffness. The method of corrugating the sheet metal is covered in the Robert R. Robertson Patent No. 1,885,294, dated November 1, 1932.

Figure 4 of the drawing illustrates one form 45 of the cross corrugated sheet metal used for making the road reflectors of this invention. Figure 4 illustrates a sheet metal wherein the cross corrugations are disposed at substantially right angles to one another to form rectangular portions in the metal providing a plurality of reflecting surfaces. The side of the cross corrugated sheet metal, which is to form the outside of the road reflectors, is polished to produce a multitudinous number of high lights or reflecting surfaces, when light strikes the polished surface of the cross corrugated metal.

In Figure 5 a modifled form of the cross corrugated sheetmetal is illustrated. In this form a plurality of diagonal main ribs or corrugations 3 are flrst formed in the sheet metal after which the sheet of metal is reversed to permit the secondary ribs or corrugations 4 to be formed in sheet metal crossing the main corrugations at an angle to form diamond-shaped sections on the metal sheet.

After the stainless steel sheets have been cross corrugated and polished on one side, the metal is run through a suitable cutting or stamping machine to stamp out reflector forms. The forms are then placed in a punch machine to punch out an air release aperture I in the middle portion of the form. The apertured forms are then placed in forming machines which act to deflect the marginal portions of the forms to produce overlapping folds in a crimped or irregular flange or rim 0 at an angle to the topplate 'I. As clearly illustrated in Figure 2, the top plate I is expanded or shaped to produce a conical or dome-shaped top with the opening 5 positioned substantially at the apex of the top. The aperture I in the top of the road reflector is provided to form an air release when the road reflector is pushed downwardly into the concrete l, forming the road 0, illustrated in Figure 1. The flange i of the road reflector is crimped or irregular in shape so that when the same is engaged in the concrete, as illustrated in Figure 2, the road reflector is tightly anchored in the concrete allowing the conical or domeshaped top I to project above the top surface of the road, in a suitably exposed position, to receive the light rays from automobile headlights and then reflect the light from the lhultitudinous reflecting surfaces formed on, the road reflector. By forming the reflectors out of stainless sheet steel, the reflecting surfaces on the exposed top surface of the reflectors are kept polished by the frictional contact of the tires of vehicles conconcrete has completely been cured.

Figure 6 illustrates an arrangement whereby the improved multiple reflector type road reflector may be engaged in the top of an old concrete road H. The top of the concrete II is drilled to provide a pocket or hole I: having irregular side walls formed from the nature of the material. The hole is then filled with new concrete II which, when the same has been sufflciently cured, forms a fllling into which the irregular or crimped flange I of a reflector is adapted to be pushed. The dome-shaped or conical top 1 of the reflector isleft to project above the top surface of the concrete II.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A road reflector for embedding in theconcrete of a road, said reflector comprising an apertured cross corrugated convex top, having air rea lease means therein, and an irregular anchoring flange integrally formed on the top and including metal folds for projection downwardly into the concrete to hold the reflector anchored in position with the convex top exposed for the multitudinous reflection of light rays striking the same. i

2. A concrete reflector comprising a cross corrugated convex top having an air release opening therein, and a cross corrugated crimped flange integrally formed on the top, said crimped flange having folds therein for anchoring the reflector in the concrete with the top exposed and: projecting above the top surface of the concre 3. A concrete road reflector constructed of comparatively thin stainless steel sheet metal, cross corrugated from opposite sides and polished on one side to form a plurality of reflecting surfaces, said sheet metal being formed with the polished surface exposed to produce a convex refleeting top and an integral irregularly shaped anchoringflange having overlapping folds therein for holding the reflector anchored in the concrete forming the road.

ROBERT R. nonna'rson. 

